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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PBCT)
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge The FBI used an unreleased tool from the Israeli mobile forensics company Cellebrite to unlock the Trump rally shooter's phone - and opened it in less than an hour, according to reports from Bloomberg and The Washington Post.Investigators at the FBI's Pittsburgh field office first tried to open Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone with a Cellebrite tool but weren't able to break into it. The phone was sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, on Sunday, where agents called Cellebrite's federal team, people familiar with the investigation told Bloomberg. Cellebrite sent the FBI an unreleased tool that's still in development, which was able to unlock Crooks' phone in 40 minutes.The Verge has reached out to Cellebrite for comment. The FBI... Continue reading...
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The Verge
| Link | https://www.theverge.com/ |
| Feed | http://www.theverge.com/rss/index.xml |
| Updated | 2025-07-09 09:04 |
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Mark Zuckerberg says Trump’s fist pump was ‘one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life’
by Mia Sato on (#6PBCV)
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images Just days after former President Donald Trump vowed to send Mark Zuckerberg to prison for long periods of time," the CEO of Meta is returning the favor - by complimenting Trump.In an interview with Bloomberg that's set to air on Tuesday, Zuckerberg was asked about what's at stake in the upcoming US presidential election. Zuckerberg first spoke about how Meta is focusing less on politics across its platforms by allowing users to tweak their settings to see less political content and recommending less content of that kind to users. Zuckerberg also says he will not personally endorse" either President Joe Biden or Trump - before offering, unprompted, his take on the Trump rally shooting.Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in... Continue reading...
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by Joanna Nelius on (#6PBCW)
AMD touts its new Ryzen AI chips, aka Strix Point, on stage. | Image: Paul Sakuma for AMD 2024 will go down in tech history as the year Microsoft was finally able to make Windows laptops into serious competitors to the MacBook. So far, that's thanks to Qualcomm's new Snapdragon chips, which switched to a homogeneous chip architecture, increased clock speeds, and caught up to Apple's speedy and power-efficient processors. But now, AMD says it has chips that can take on the MacBook, too - and keep the company's processors in the mix.Last week, AMD held a two-day event in Los Angeles to reveal in-depth information about its new Strix Point Ryzen AI chips built on its brand-new Zen 5 architecture. Zen 5 is supposed to be a major leap from AMD's last-gen chip architecture, delivering more instructions per clock cycle and higher... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PBCX)
Image: Channel 4 / Talkback Thames Have you turned it off and on again? That familiar refrain from IT departments and The IT Crowd is being echoed by Microsoft today as a recommended way of fixing the faulty CrowdStrike update that has taken down thousands of Windows PCs and servers today.In a support note on Microsoft's Azure outage page, the company says it has heard from customers that rebooting virtual machines and PCs multiple times can help. We have received feedback from customers that several reboots (as many as 15 have been reported) may be required, but overall feedback is that reboots are an effective troubleshooting step at this stage," says Microsoft.If rebooting a machine 15 times doesn't do the trick, Microsoft recommends the workaround that many IT... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PBCY)
Image: Adrienn Szabo / Paramount Plus Paramount has canceled its live-action Halo series for Paramount Plus, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. But if you're a fan of the show and want to see it continue, there's a sliver of hope: both publications report that the show's producers are shopping the series around, so perhaps there will be a third season.The Halo show premiered in 2022 and ran for two seasons, with the second debuting earlier this year. Pablo Schreiber starred as Master Chief.We are extremely proud of this ambitious series and would like to thank our partners at Xbox, 343 Industries and Amblin Television, along with showrunner and executive producer David Wiener, his fellow executive producers, the entire cast led by Pablo Schreiber as Master... Continue reading...
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by Chris Welch on (#6PBA2)
Photo by Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images Look, in the grand scheme of the global outage that's wreaking havoc across airlines, banks, supermarkets, TV stations, and countless businesses, being unable to order a Trenta iced coffee from Starbucks with my smartphone is a minor inconvenience. But you can add the company's mobile ordering system to the list of casualties from this CrowdStrike BSOD situation.
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by Emma Roth on (#6PBA3)
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge On Friday morning, some of the biggest airlines, TV broadcasters, banks, and other essential services came to a standstill as a massive outage rippled across the globe. The outage, which has brought the Blue Screen of Death upon legions of Windows machines across the globe, is linked to just one software company: CrowdStrike.CrowdStrike plays an important role in helping companies find and prevent security breaches, billing itself as having the fastest mean time" to detect threats. Since its launch in 2011, the Texas-based company has helped investigate major cyberattacks, such as the Sony Pictures hack in 2014, as well as the Russian cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee in 2015 and 2016. As of Thursday evening,... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6PB6N)
Image: The Verge A Trump2024" banner labeled Promoted by Team Trump" sat atop the What's Happening summary on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, during the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention on Thursday.While the #Trump2024 hashtag temporarily showed the American flag, and clicking it caused an animated hashfetti" effect with flags raining down, it was the icon attached to the number one trending #MAGA topic that caught our eyes. Image: X.com The Trump hashmoji" attached to #MAGA. It temporarily featured a low-res version of a now-famous image showing Trump with his fist raised while being lifted to his feet by Secret Service agents following an assassination attempt during his campaign... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PB6Q)
Photo by Anthony Kwan / Getty Images IT admins around the world are scrambling to fix a major issue with Windows computers today after a faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike knocked thousands of PCs and servers offline with a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) error. While CrowdStrike has fixed the update that originally caused the problems, many systems are still offline, with banks, airlines, supermarkets, and TV broadcasters struggling to cope without their machines.The fix, for many, won't be easy. IT admins are still trying to use an initial workaround provided by CrowdStrike, which involves booting Windows systems into Safe Mode and deleting a system file:
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by Victoria Song on (#6PB6R)
The report didn't mention Ventura, which is rumored to be a more affordable headset slated for 2024. | Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge Despite recent layoffs in its Reality Labs division, Meta is still barreling ahead with plans for a Quest 4 in 2026 and a higher-end headset in 2027, The Information reports.While the report didn't reveal much about hardware, this is the first time we've heard about specific timelines for the devices. The Quest 4 will purportedly have a standard and premium version, referred to internally as Pismo Low" and Pismo High." Meanwhile, a higher-end version codenamed La Jolla" is set for 2027 and is meant to compete with the Apple Vision Pro. Unmentioned in the report is Ventura, a more affordable headset that The Verge previously reported may come out later this year.Aside from Quest headsets, Meta is also expected to launch a pair of AR... Continue reading...
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by David Pierce on (#6PB6S)
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge In 2024, it's always gadget season. But in these hot mid-July weeks, after splashy announcements from Samsung and Motorola and before we see what's coming from Google and Apple, it's officially Weird Gadget Season.On this episode of The Vergecast, we dive into the many weird gadgets that surfaced this week: an iPod-y Apple Watch accessory, an AI-powered Canon camera, the extremely tall Essential phone that never made it to market, and more. We talk about them all, always asking the important question: is this anything?But before we get to the weird gadgets, we go through some of the big news of the week. After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the current state of social media content moderation has revealed itself... and... Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PB6T)
Photo by Jack Taylor / Getty Images Thousands of flights were temporarily grounded Friday after a major global IT outage caused airline computers to become inoperable. Some flights were resuming Friday morning, but airlines were warning customers of delays and disruptions throughout the day.The outage apparently stemmed from a software update issued by major US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which is widely used by businesses for managing security on Windows PCs - including by most major airlines.Long lines were being reported at dozens of airports, including Hong Kong, Berlin, Amsterdam, Denver, and Manchester, according to The New York Times. Departure areas were filling up with distressed travelers as check-out computers were offline.A TikTok from Atlanta's... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PB6V)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung has temporarily stopped shipping its new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro to retailers following complaints about quality control. Early customers who received the wireless earbuds ahead of their wider July 24th release reported that the ear tips were fragile and prone to breaking when removed.The pause was confirmed in a statement to Android Authority, in which Samsung said it had temporarily suspended deliveries of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro devices to distribution channels" to conduct quality control assessments before the product is delivered to customers. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," the company said, directing customers who had already received the earbuds to contact Samsung support or visit their nearest... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PB4N)
Google is cracking down on functionally useless Android apps. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google is raising its minimum quality requirements for Android apps, and will soon remove those that don't meet expectations from the Play Store. According to the company's latest spam policy update, apps that demonstrate limited functionality and content" - such as text only apps, single wallpaper apps, or those that are literally designed to do nothing at all - will no longer be permitted on the Play Store effective August 31st.These join existing restrictions that barred broken apps that are not responsive, don't install, crash, or otherwise function abnormally. Google says it's added the additional requirements to ensure apps can meet the uplifted standards for the Play catalog and engage users through quality functionality."G... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PB2G)
Illustration: The Verge If you ever used Google's URL shortening service goo.gl before it was shut down in 2019, be warned - those links will stop working on August 25th, 2025. Google announced in a blog post that the time has come to turn off the serving portion of Google URL Shortener," and that any links in the https://goo.gl/* format will respond with a 404 error next year.Ahead of the shutdown, goo.gl links will start showing an interstitial page on August 23rd, 2024, notifying users that this link will no longer work in the near future." This message will initially appear for a percentage of existing links'' which will increase as the deadline draws closer. Google is encouraging developers to update impacted links as soon as possible, however, as this... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PB0P)
Image: Microsoft Thousands of Windows machines are experiencing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issue at boot today, impacting banks, airlines, TV broadcasters, supermarkets, and many more businesses worldwide. A faulty update from cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike is knocking affected PCs and servers offline, forcing them into a recovery boot loop so machines can't start properly. CrowdStrike is widely used by many businesses worldwide for managing the security of Windows PCs and servers.Australian banks, airlines, and TV broadcasters first raised the alarm as thousands of machines started to go offline. The issues spread fast as businesses based in Europe started their work day. UK broadcaster Sky News was unable to broadcast its morning news bulletins... Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PAVF)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has blasted Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass price increases in a filing to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Microsoft revealed last week that it's increasing PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate prices, and planning to launch a new Game Pass Standard tier soon without day one access to first-party Xbox games.The FTC calls this new Game Pass Standard tier a degraded product," because new Game Pass users won't be able to sign up to the $10.99 Game Pass for Console, which includes day one game access. Instead, Xbox Game Pass Standard will be priced at $14.99 and won't include day one games, but will include online multiplayer.Microsoft's price increases and product degradation - combined... Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PAT9)
Image: The Verge A widespread Xbox Live outage lasting several hours has now been resolved. The issue prevented players from signing into their accounts and downloading or playing online games. Users should once again be able to sign in, matchmake and complete purchases," Xbox Support said on X at 11.24PM ET. Thank you for sticking with us!"Xbox had earlier confirmed there was a major" Xbox Live outage on its status page as of 6:57PM ET, warning players they may experience issues with signing into their user profiles, or being disconnected. At 8:20PM ET, Xbox also said the outage was affecting Xbox Store and subscriptions. You may not be able to buy games to own right now," according to a status message.For players who could sign into their... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PATA)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images Google has bought itself the title of official AI sponsor for Team USA," and when the 2024 Olympics broadcast starts on July 26th, you will be reminded of that frequently. NBCUniversal's partnership with Google will put many of the company's AI-powered features front and center during the event.The broadcast will include Google Maps' 3D views of venues like the Versailles, Stade Roland Garros, and the Aquatics Centre, as well as tidbits about what events will occur at each location. The imagery pulls from the Immersive Views added to Maps over the last few years that represent certain landmarks and areas of interest with photorealistic models. Image: Google Image: Google As part of the... Continue reading...
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by Lauren Feiner on (#6PATB)
Photo by Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission wants to standardize the amount of time consumers have to wait to unlock their cell phones to be able to switch carriers.The agency voted unanimously on Thursday to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to make mobile service providers unlock customers' phones within 60 days of activation. The proposal is at an early stage - the notice of proposed rulemaking begins a public comment period before a lengthy process of drafting and revising the rule - but the FCC hopes it will boost consumer choice and competition among mobile service providers.The commissioners are seeking comment on whether the proposed rule should apply to existing or future service contracts and how it could impact smaller... Continue reading...
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by Richard Lawler on (#6PARK)
Image: Google Just hours after revealing the Pixel 9 Pro, Google is showing off the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with a brief, Gemini-linked teaser video. As is standard for Pixel phones, the devices have been leaked all over the internet already, but at least now we can end speculation about the look or name of Google's next foldable Android phone.Google's teaser video clearly shows double-stacked lenses for the rear camera module as well as the outside screen and hinge. Image: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold For confirmation of other specs and details about upgrades from the first Fold, we may have to wait for Google's hardware event on August 13th. There, we'll see this phone, the 9 Pro, the Pixel Watch 3, and whatever else is left.Y... Continue reading...
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by Justine Calma on (#6PARM)
A painted woolly bat, or Kerivoula picta, roosts under a leaf in Indonesia. | Image: Abu Hamas / iNaturalist via UC Davis Scientists are sounding the alarm about taxidermied bats commonly sold online in frames, jars, coffins, jewelry, and more. It's a wild animal trade that has flown under the radar and that poses risks to the bats and potentially to the people who handle them, according to a study recently published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research.While bats of all kinds are showing up for sale online, the study homes in on one particularly appealing species - Kerivoula picta, also called the painted woolly bat. They're bright orange critters with striking black and orange wings. Their natural vibrancy might be what makes them in demand for Halloween decorations. The term goth" also popped up in almost 15 percent of Kerivoula picta listings... Continue reading...
by Emma Roth on (#6PARN)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge With Netflix raking in 8 million more global subscribers over the past few months, the streamer is turning its attention to its ad-supported plan - and for good reason. The budget-friendly tier now accounts for over 45 percent of all new signups in markets where ads are available, according to its second quarter earnings report results released on Thursday.As part of its efforts to nudge subscribers to its ad plan, Netflix started phasing out its cheapest commercial-free plan for existing subscribers in Canada and the UK earlier this month. It plans on discontinuing the plan in the US and France next. Netflix has also started testing pause ads, which appear on your screen whenever you stop what you're watching.Our ad revenue is... Continue reading...
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by Charles Pulliam-Moore on (#6PAP3)
Photo: Disney / Lucasfilm Season 1 of The Acolyte was a master class in deepening Star Wars' lore rather than just playing into its nostalgic past. Continue reading...
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by Jay Peters on (#6PAP4)
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Figma recently pulled its Make Designs" generative AI tool after a user discovered that asking it to design a weather app would spit out something suspiciously similar to Apple's weather app - a result that could, among other things, land a user in legal trouble. This also suggested that Figma may have trained the feature on Apple's designs, and while CEO Dylan Field was quick to say that the company didn't train the tool on Figma content or app designs, the company has now released a full statement in a company blog post.The statement says that Figma carefully reviewed" Make Designs' underlying design systems during development and as part of a private beta. But in the week leading up to Config, new components and example screens... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PAKC)
Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Intel, and other big names in AI are coming together to form the Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI), according to an announcement on Thursday. The initiative aims to address a fragmented landscape of AI security" by providing access to open-source methodologies, frameworks, and tools.We don't know how much of an impact CoSAI will have on the AI industry, but concerns about leaking confidential information and automated discrimination come to mind as examples of questions about the security, privacy, and safety of generative AI technology.Other companies joining CoSAI include IBM, PayPal, Cisco, and Anthropic. CoSAI will exist within the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PAKD)
Initially available in silver, the Fiio DM13 will eventually be released in four additional colors. | Image: Fiio It's time to dig out those CD binders you refused to part with. Fiio, a Chinese audio gear maker, is releasing a $179 portable CD player in September that brings with it modern upgrades the Sony Discman never had - including support for the wireless headphones that didn't exist in the Discman's heyday.Following vinyl's resurgence in popularity, demand for audio cassettes and compact discs has increased in recent years. At CES 2024, Fiio debuted the CP13, an upgraded portable cassette player inspired by the iconic Sony Walkman. Half a year later, the Fiio DM13 gives portable CD players a similarly modern facelift. Image: Fiio The portable CD player will have a rechargeable battery good for eight hours of playback.... Continue reading...
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by Umar Shakir on (#6PAKE)
The new Boost Mobile logo has the Infinite part included. | Image: Boost Mobile Boost Mobile, the historically MVNO wireless carrier acquired by Disk Network (which rejoined EchoStar), has relaunched as an umbrella company that now includes Boost Infinite and combines all its pre- and post-paid services. Along with the rebranding, Boost Mobile is offering new deals, including an affordable $25 per month option with 5G speeds.The key part of the $25 per month deal is that customers can get that price (with automatic payments) with only a single line, while other carriers usually require you to sign up for multiple lines to get to a lower price per line. For instance, Verizon's Total Wireless recently launched a $30 per line per month offer, but you must have four lines to get the low price. Image:... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PAKF)
Image: Apple Apple is launching new immersive" video content for the Vision Pro over the next few months, including one from The Weeknd, a close-up view of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, and the first scripted short film captured in Apple Immersive Video." The new series and film will come exclusively to the Vision Pro, allowing wearers to watch 3D video with a 180-degree field of view.The immersive performance from The Weeknd will arrive on the Vision Pro later this year, while you can expect a short film featuring events from the NBA All-Star Game this fall, such as the Rising Stars Challenge, the slam dunk contest, and the All-Star Game.But if you're hoping to jump into an immersive experience sooner, you can catch Boundless, which Apple... Continue reading...
by Charles Pulliam-Moore on (#6PAGP)
Image: Amazon The Boys has always reveled in its lampooning of the US's fraught political landscape, but following the recent Trump rally shooting, Amazon has retitled the show's season 4 finale and added a new disclaimer stating that the show is not meant to be a reflection of reality.Though Assassination Run" was the original title of The Boys' newest episode (which dropped today), it is now listed as Season Four Finale" and opens with a warning explaining that the episode contains scenes of fictional political violence" whose similarities to recent real-world events are completely coincidental and unintentional."Given The Boys' track record of presenting many of its characters as analogues for actual political figures, Amazon's move to... Continue reading...
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by Gaby Del Valle on (#6PAGQ)
Image: The Verge FBI officials told Congress on Wednesday that the 20-year-old who shot at former President Donald Trump may have posted a warning on Steam before the attack - but CNN is now reporting that investigators think the account is fake.
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by Jay Peters on (#6PAGR)
Image: Google Google has revealed the Pixel 9 Pro following a series of leaks that revealed the phone in great detail, including hands-on videos and comparisons to other recent devices. The company plans to show off more about the Pixel 9 lineup as well as its other upcoming devices, with an event at Google HQ in California on August 13th.In a video, the company showed a brief look at the Pixel 9 Pro and teased that AI and Gemini will be a big part of the device. You can also already sign up for information about the Pixel 9 Pro from Google's online store, which has another image of the phone. Image: Google Recent regulatory filings and other leaks indicate that Google is planning to launch four phones soon: the Pixel 9, the... Continue reading...
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by Mia Sato on (#6PAGS)
Image: Instagram Instagram Notes - a temporary away status-like feature - is expanding, the company announced today.Users will now be able to leave Notes on Reels and grid posts, where their comments will float on top of the content in little bubbles. Like Notes, these comments are temporary - they'll disappear after three days unless you delete them earlier. The new temporary comments are also semiprivate, and users can tailor who's able to see their comment: either your curated list of close friends or followers you follow back. Based on screenshots, it also appears as though users can tag each other in Notes on Reels and posts. They're basically hidden comments for a smaller audience.When users encounter Reels and posts with Notes from friends,... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Webster on (#6PAGT)
Image: HBO HBO's Dune prequel series now has a premiere date - or month, at least. The upcoming show, called Dune: Prophecy, will hit both HBO and Max in November. The HBO Original also got a fresh teaser, which makes it look like the six-episode-long show will be filled with plenty of political maneuvering.That makes a lot of sense given that Prophecy follows the origins of the clandestine Bene Gesserit sect, which went on to shape much of the galaxy in the Dune universe. The show is set 10,000 years before Dune and its sequel. HBO says the series is inspired" by the novel Sisterhood of Dune from 2012, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.Alison Schapker - best known for working on shows like Lost, Fringe, and Alias - is serving as... Continue reading...
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by Kylie Robison on (#6PAGV)
Image: The Verge OpenAI is releasing a lighter, cheaper model for developers to tinker with called GPT-4o Mini. It costs significantly less than full-sized models and is said to be more capable than GPT-3.5.Building apps using OpenAI's models can rack up a huge bill. Developers without the means to afford to tinker with it can get priced out of it entirely and may opt for cheaper models like Google's Gemini 1.5 Flash or Anthropic's Claude 3 Haiku. Now, OpenAI is entering the light model game.I think GPT-4o Mini really gets at the OpenAI mission of making AI more broadly accessible to people. If we want AI to benefit every corner of the world, every industry, every application, we have to make AI much more affordable," Olivier Godement, who leads the... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PAD6)
The 65-inch version of the CanvasTV is now available, while a 55-inch version will arrive later this summer. | Image: Hisense Hisense's CanvasTV, a matte screen television designed to blend into your home decor as a piece of artwork when you're not watching TV, is now available in a 65-inch model for $1,299.99. A smaller 55-inch version, expected to sell for $999, is still en route for later this summer.First announced in May, the CanvasTV wraps a 4K, 144Hz QLED anti-glare screen in a wooden teak frame to give it the appearance of framed artwork. If that doesn't match the decor of a room, walnut and all-white frames are also available but sold separately. An Art Mode" cycles through a preloaded collection of paintings in Renaissance, modern, and abstract styles, but users can display their own art and photographs. When no one's around to look, a motion sensor... Continue reading...
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by Emma Roth on (#6PAD7)
Image: 1047 Games Splitgate isn't dead yet. On Thursday, developer 1047 Games revealed a cinematic trailer for Splitgate 2, a revamped version of the free-to-play multiplayer shooter, which uses the same portal mechanic that made the game so fun the first time around.When Splitgate 2 launches in 2025, it will come with some notable upgrades. The developers say they've rebuilt everything from the ground up" in Unreal Engine 5 and also added a new faction-based system. There will be familiar elements, but on the whole, Splitgate 2 should look and feel completely fresh from the original," 1047 Games says.Commonly referred to as Halo with portals," Splitgate became a breakout hit when it launched in 2021, racking up 10 million downloads in less than 30... Continue reading...
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by Nilay Patel on (#6PAD8)
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge This week on Decoder, I talked to author Matthew Ball, who was last on the show in 2022 to discuss his book The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything." It's 2024, and it's safe to say that has not happened yet. But Matt's still on the case - in fact, he just performed an almost complete update of the book, now with the much more sober title, Building the Spatial Internet." It's out next week on Tuesday, July 23rd.Matt and I talked a lot about where the previous metaverse hype cycle landed us and what there is to learn from these boom and bust waves in technology. We also talked about the Apple Vision Pro as a marker or symbol of where the metaverse is now and where it has to go. If you read or watched my review when it... Continue reading...
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by Andrew Liszewski on (#6PAAE)
Nintendo now offers its own Joy-Con charger. | Image: Nintendo Europe Nintendo has announced its own standalone charger for the Switch's Joy-Con controllers arriving on October 17th. It's an accessory that many Switch gamers would have welcomed seven years ago when the handheld launched, and while third parties have long offered alternatives, Nintendo's arrives with some extra flexibility.Unlike most wireless controllers that can be charged with a USB-C cable, the Nintendo Joy-Con, as well as the company's retro wireless NES and Famicom gamepads, can only charge when attached to the Switch. A separate charger makes it easier to keep more than two Joy-Con controllers powered up, so it's an odd move for the company to release an accessory like this as the original Switch's lifecycle winds down and its... Continue reading...
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by Sheena Vasani on (#6PAAF)
Image: Shira Inbar for The Verge Amazon's discount extravaganza might technically be over, but if you still have cash to spare, these leftover deals are worth a second look. Continue reading...
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by Tom Warren on (#6PAAG)
Image: Voicemod Popular voice changing software Voicemod is finally going to work with game consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. While Voicemod has been available as an app on Windows PCs for more than five years, platform limitations have forced Voicemod to create dedicated hardware to bring its popular voice changer and soundboard to game consoles.Voicemod Key is a tiny USB-C dongle that turns your regular gaming headset and mobile phone into a voice changer and soundboard for game consoles, phones, and tablets. The original idea was from the community, we found it on YouTube," explains Voicemod chief operating officer Jochen Doppelhammer in an interview with The Verge.Voicemod can't build an app for Xbox or PlayStation, so... Continue reading...
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by Jess Weatherbed on (#6PAAH)
Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge Meta says it won't be launching its upcoming multimodal AI model - capable of handling video, audio, images, and text - in the European Union, citing regulatory concerns. The decision will prevent European companies from using the multimodal model, despite it being released under an open license.We will release a multimodal Llama model over the coming months, but not in the EU due to the unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment," Meta spokesperson Kate McLaughlin said to The Verge.Just last week, the EU finalized compliance deadlines for AI companies under its strict new AI Act. Tech companies operating in the EU will generally have until August 2026 to comply with rules around copyright, transparency, and AI uses... Continue reading...
by Tauriq Moosa on (#6PAAJ)
Image: Kepler Interactive It has some clever ideas but struggles with a lack of polish and repetitive gameplay. Continue reading...
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by Andrew J. Hawkins on (#6PA69)
Image: Lilium Lilium, an electric aviation company based in Germany, says it has secured a binding sales agreement for up to 100 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft with Saudia Group, which operates the largest airline carrier in Saudi Arabia and is wholly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The agreement is a firm order" for 50 Lilium jets, with an option to purchase up to 50 more, the company said. The deal follows a 2022 memorandum of understanding between Lilium and Saudia to explore ways in which battery-powered multi-rotor aircraft can address the region's transportation challenges.The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it has the potential to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Lilium has said it will sell... Continue reading...
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by Quentyn Kennemer on (#6P9BM)
Image: Shira Inbar for The Verge Amazon's annual sales event might be drawing to a close, but there are still plenty of earbuds, TVs, robot vacuums, and other gems available. Continue reading...
by Chris Welch on (#6PA1H)
Image: Dyson With replaceable ear cushions and outer caps, there are over 2,000 ways to customize these $500 noise-canceling headphones - without the Bane mask this time. Continue reading...
by Brandon Widder on (#6P8FP)
Tribit's StormBox Micro 2 speaker makes for a great bike companion, especially at $42.99. | Image: Tribit Amazon Prime Day marches onward, and while there continues to be an abundance of deals spanning all price points and categories, most of them will cease to exist once the clock strikes midnight tonight. And while many of the steepest discounts in the world of tech are still reserved for premium headphones and TVs, there are still plenty of budget-friendly gadgets and gizmos on sale for those looking to pick up cheap(er) basics, fitness bands, or one of several AAA games for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X / S, or PlayStation 5.The bulk of the sub-$50 highlights below are currently exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers, though, in some instances, retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart are matching Amazon's pricing. That means,... Continue reading...
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by Barbara Krasnoff on (#6P9VJ)
Image: NuPhy What you have on your desk and in your workspace at home can reveal a lot about you: how you work, what you like to distract yourself with, what kind of toys and other tchotchkes you like to have around you. That is why we have the What's On Your Desk? series, where we look at how some of our coworkers organize their spaces. It gives us - and you, our readers - a glimpse into the personality of the folks here.Out of curiosity, we took a look at some of our past articles to see if any of the devices that our staff use in their day-to-day work have surfaced during Amazon's Prime Day sale. Despite the fact the sale is nearly over, we still managed to find quite a few.Here they are, along with any comments that the folks that use them had... Continue reading...
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by Antonio G. Di Benedetto on (#6P8K8)
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Everyone loves cheap stuff that's actually good to use or invaluably helpful in your day to day. While Amazon Prime Day offers a deluge of deals on no-name tchotchkes and knockoffs (many of which have inflated, bot-fueled review scores), it does have its fair share of inexpensive hidden gems that are actually worth your money.We know not everyone is shopping for big multihundred- or thousand-dollar tech every time a deal comes around, so we're always on the lookout for sales that fit into more modest budgets like sub-$100 and sub-$50.Here, we're rounding up our top picks for Prime Day that are just 25 bucks or less. Some of them may be ho-hum essentials like a USB-C charging cable, but you may be surprised what kind of tech you can... Continue reading...
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by Chris Welch on (#6P89A)
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge I don't know how people wear headphones in the summer heat. I'm strictly in earbuds mode when the temperatures climb this high. But no matter your preference, Amazon Prime Day is a great opportunity to upgrade your aging gear (and declining battery life) with the latest and greatest from Bose, Samsung, Sony, and plenty of other brands.For Prime Day 2024, expect plenty of deals that'll have you considering an impulse purchase. Many of our favorite earbud and headphone picks are on sale at some of their lowest prices yet - and those deals have extended into day two.Some products (like Apple's AirPods and AirPods Max) are due for a refresh in the coming months, but there's nothing wrong with picking up the current version - especially... Continue reading...
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